Electrical connector



1947- s. N.' BUCHANAN ETAL 2,424,966

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Fiied Feb. '9, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Aug. 5, 1947 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Stephen N. Buchanan, Westmoreland Hills, Md.,

and James 0. Johnson, Teaneck, N. J., assignors, by mesne assignments. to Harvey Hubbell, Inc.

Application February 9, 1942, Serial No. 430,028

Claims.

is concerned with an improved construction for electrical terminal blocks adapted for use in conneotion with aircraft or ship wiring.

One of the objects of our invention is to pro vide a highly improved terminal block device of the class described which shall be so constructed and arranged as to occupy a minimum of space and yet accommodate a large number of plug members.

Another object of our invention is to provide a highly improved terminal block device of the class described which shall be so constructed and arranged as to readily lend itself to be extended along its length or along its width or in both directions so as to accommodate any desired number of plug members.

A further object of our invention is to provide a highly improved terminal block device of the class described having means to insure against accidental disassembly of th plug members from their receptacles, which shall render the same vibrationprooi' and which shall at the same time provide a broad area of effective contact between the members.

A still further object of our invention is to pro vide a terminal block device of the class described characterized by the small number of parts, which'comprise the same, by the ease and simplicity oi. the assembly of such parts and by the high degree of efficiency and usefulness in actual use.

Additional objects of our invention will become apparent in the following detailed description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a top plan view of a terminal block device constructed and arranged in accordance with our invention and illustrating the manner of its use;

Fig.2 isa' cross-sectional view taken substantiallyon. the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, 4, and 6 are cross-sectional views taken substantially on the lines 3-3, 4-4, 5-5 and 6-4 respectively of Fig. 2;

' Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the parts of our device, disassembled therefrom;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of our terminal block device similar to Fig. l but with the plugs removed and designed to accommodate a larger number of plug connectors;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating a modified form of our inventlo Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 6 but enlarged and illustrating another modified form of our invention;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 7 but showing one of the parts of the Fig. 10 form of our invention and disassembled therefrom;

Fig. 12 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 8, but of smaller size and illustrating the manner of increasing the capacity of the device to accommodate additional plug members :by interconnecting a plurality of terminal block units; and

Fig. 13 is an elevational view of a modified form of plug member which may be used in con nection with our invention.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 to 7 thereof, there is shown a terminal bloci: device constructed and arranged in accordance with our invention and comprising a pair of fiat rigid plate members 20 and ii made of any suitable insulating material customarily employed in the electrical connecting art. such as, for example, Bakelite. The said members 20 and 2! are maintained in predetermined spaced relationship by a tubular spacer member 22 and hollow rivet members 23 having the ends 230: thereof swaged over the outer surfaces 20a and Zia of the members 20 and 2! respectively as shown in Fig. 2. It is noted that the members 22 and 23 are disposed adjacent the ends of the plates 23 and, 2| forming a relatively large unobstructed space S between the said plates 20 and H. Into the space S there is mounted one or more electrical plug receptacle elements 25, 2.5 (see Fig. 3), adapted to contactively receive corresponding plug members. Each element 25 is made up of a pair of plates 30 made of electrisally conductive materials as shown in detail in Fig. 7 of the drawings each plate 30 comprises a fiat main body portion 38a substantially rectangular in shape and a pair of flat end extendin portions 301) of reduced width. Adjacent the ends of the flat portions 3% ar ooncaved portion 300. The plates 30 are permanently joined with the concaved portions 30 in opposed relationship by any suitable fastening means, such as, for example, the rivet 3| (see Fi 3) interposed intermediate the ends 300 of the plates 3. to permit resilient separation of the said concaved portions 300 designed to receive therein the stem 40 of the plug member.

To provide a broader area of contact between the stems of the plug members and the receptacle elements, in case of possible surface irregularity each'concaved portion 300 of the plates 30 is formed with slots 30). Any number of 3 such slots 30; may be provided. When two slots are provided we are able to assure at least a three point contact and if more slots are provided a still wider area of contact is obtained.

The receptacle elements 25, 25' are maintained in position between the plates 20 and 2| by providing aligned grooves 32 and 33 on the inner surfaces of the plates 20 and 2| respectively into which the longitudinal edges 30d of the elements as are received, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

In accordance with our invention we provide openings 35 in the plate 20 and corresponding openings 36 in the plate 2|, the said corresponding openings 35 and 36 being in axial alignment with each other and with the axis of the opening formed between corresponding concaved portions 300 of the receptacle elements 25, 25'.

It is thus seen from the above described construction that when it is desired to connect a. plug member P to the terminal block, the stem 40 thereof may be inserted into the plug receiving portions of the elements 25, 25' from either direction, i. e., through openings in the plate 2|) or through the openings in the plate 2|. This makes for greater facility and accessibility in making desired electrical connections.

As noted in Figs. 2, 6 and 7 of the drawings the ends 30c of the concaved portions 300 of the plates 30 are outwardly flared to facilitate the insertion therethrough of the stems 4|! of the plug members P.

Any suitable type of plug members may be employed, either the single type or the kind in which a plurality of plug members are fixedly attached to a plate 50, to form a unit, in which latter case the said plate 50 would overlie either of the plates 20 or 2|, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Instead of the plug members P shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings satisfactory results may be obtained by using the L-shaped plug members P illustrated in Fig. 13 of the drawings.

It is also noted that in accordance with our invention the receptacle elements 25 and 25 are placed in staggered relationship with the rounded and enlarged end portions thereof offset or nested thus effecting a great saving of space in a lateral direction.

The above described terminal block may be mounted on any suitable support 48 by means of a screw 49 passing through the hollow rivet 23 and being threadedly received in the said support 48. The screw 49 is preferably of the type having a flat head 45 so that the plate 50 of the plug unit may overlie the same while at the same time permitting the stems 40 to effectively enter the receptacle portions of the elements 25, 25'.

Due to the above described nested arrangement of the receptacle elements 25, 25' we are able to enlarge the terminal block in a lateral direction by placing additional receptacle elements without too greatly enlarging the lateral dimension of the terminal block. One such arrangement employing five receptacle elements 25 is shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings and it is understood that any number of receptacle elements may be employed and our invention extends to such use.

If desired the terminal block shown in Figs. 1 to 7 of the drawings and described above may be considered as a unit 55 and a. plurality of such 'units may be adjacently disposed and interconnected as shown in Fig. 12 of the drawings by suitably designed connector members 55.

In Fig. 9 we have shown a modified form of our invention in which the terminal block 80 comprises the pair of plates similar to the plates 2|] an 2| and maintained in spaced relationship in the same manner as hereinbeiore described. It is noted, however, that the receptacle elements 5| and BI are designed to provide more than two stations for contactively receiving the stems of additional plug members. Each of the receptacle elements 8| and BI comprise a pair of plates 52 and 83 similar to the plates 80, but having interposed between the end concaved portions 52a and 53a any additional number of desired concaved portions 64 and 55 to form additional receptacles for plug members. Rivets 58 may be employed for fastening together corresponding pairs of plates 62, 83 at some or all of the flat intermediate both portions. In all other respects this Fig.

9 form of our invention may be constructed in a manner similar to that of the Figs. 1 to '7 form of invention, including the grooves'in the rigid side plates to maintain the receptacle elements in position and the spacer members and hollow rivets as hereinbefore described.

In Figs. 10 and 11 we have shown another modified form of our invention in which the construction of the rigid plates 20 and 2| and the spacer members and hollow rivets, are the same as in the other forms of our invention but in which the receptacle elements and cooperating stems of the plug members are so constructed as to provide means for preventing vibration between the receptacle elements and the plug members, and at the same time prevent undesired separation of the plug members from their receptacles.

To this end each portion "c of each receptacle plate In is provided with an inwardly pressed ridge ll, corresponding pair of ridges 1| being designed to be resiliently received in a corresponding circumferential groove 12 in the stem 15 of the plug members P. It is noted that the curvature of the groove 12 is deeper than the ridge H to insure effective contact of the stem 15 with the portions 200.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, we have herein described the principle and operation of our invention, together with the constructions which we now consider to represent the best embodiments thereof, but we desire to have it understood that the constructions shown are only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of thesemay be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electrical terminal device of the class described, the combination of a pair of spaced insulating plates having plug receiving holes coaxial in both plates and arranged in staggered pairs and having inwardly faced slots extending between said pairs of holes, tubular spacers positioned between said plates, rivets extended through said spacers and through the plates at opposite ends and securing them rigidly in said spaced relation, at least one of said rivets being tubular for reception of fastening means for securing the terminal device to an external support, a plurality of receptacle elements staggered and laterally spaced from one another and mounted edgewise between said plates, each receptacle element comprising a pair of resilient sheet metal parts each having a relatively flat intermediate body portion extended at its opposite sides into said slots in the insulating plates and integral concaved contact portions of lesser width, whereby to leave a clearance from said insulating plates and each of said contact portions extending approximately coaxially of and between opposite holes in said insulating plates, said body portions being disposed face to face in overlying relationship and said contact portions being in opposed, approximately coaxial, relationship, and means securing said body portions together but leaving the contact portions free to move resiliently toward and away from one another.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, in which the edges of the contact. portion are flared to facilitate entry of a plug and the concave faces of said contact portions are transversely ribbed, and a plug engaged between said contact portions is of greater diameter than the normal spacing between said contact portions but of radius only slightly less than the radius of said concaved surfaces and is provided with an annular groove registering with said ribs on the contact portions but of greater width and depth than said ribs whereby said plug is held against withdrawal but without interference with full contact between concaved surfaces and said plug.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1, in which the edges of the contact portion are flared to facilitate entry of a plug and are slit to give multiple independent gripping of a plug engaged 6 between said contact portions and thereby to increase the eflective contact between said portions and the plug.

STEPHEN N. BUCHANAN. JAMES O. JOHNSON.

aarnnnncns crr'nn The following references are of record in the tile 0! this patent:

\ UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 1,520,821 Kaisling Dec. 30, 1924 2,214,065 Pennock Sept. 10, 1940 1,884,582 Crawford Oct. 25, 1932 1,950,717 Douglas Mar. 13, 1934 1,750,246 Serreli Mar. 11, 1930 2,187,527 Wells Jan. 16, 1940 1,968,480 Draving July 31, 1934 1,369,921 Currier Feb. 22, 1921 2,228,869 Martinek Dec. 31, 1940 1,217,964 Lamb Mar. 6, 1917 1,369,221 Currier Feb. 22, 1921 2,310,919 Adam Feb. 16, 1943 1,321,488 Starrett Nov. 11, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 440,174 Germany Feb. 1, 1927 482,563 Germany Sept. 18, 1929 

